Journal from the River (UT)
by SoulofWoods
Summary: Tra la la. Beware of the mad fanfic writer. Tra la la. (Sans x Reader) (Reader is !Riverperson) (Short-fiction)
1. Entry 1

**A/N: Hey guys, Sheena here, and welcome to my first Undertale fanfiction ever! Yay!**

 **Ok, so, I feel like I need to clear a few things before we start, so bare with me for a little longer, k? First, it's a short-fiction, meaning, the chapters usually won't be longer than 1000 words, (which IS short for me) maybe a little bit longer at times. Reader is female, and actually IS** ** _the Riverperson_** **. (because it is unknown in the game, so I decided, what the heck, and made them a female, sue me)**

 **With that aside, let's just get on with the chapter, shall we? ;)**

* * *

 _Tra la la._

 _The waters are wild today… that's good luck._

I smiled slightly as the first words appeared on the paper sprawled on my lap. The waves bounced against my boat, making writing a little bit harder, but still, I kept on. It didn't really matter if my writing was horrible.

 _Today, a nice yellow lizard girl stopped by at my dock in Hotland. I believe she's the new Royal Scientist, after the previous one disappeared. What a responsible role for such a young monster. I have a feeling she would really use the help of the previous Royal Scientist. What was his name again…?_

 _…It doesn't really matter._

 _She asked me to ride her to Waterfall. I did just that, as I always did, and I will always be. It's my duty, to ride anyone anywhere they want here in the Underground._

 _The ride was peaceful._

 _The nice lizard girl tried to make a conversations of sorts through her horrible stuttering, but she seemed a bit down today. Maybe something's bothering her?_

 _… It doesn't really matter._

 _When we arrived at Waterfall, the lizard girl paid me for the ride by giving me this book with empty sheets. She said it's a journal, and I can write in it whatever I want._

 _What a nice gift._

 _After the nice lizard girl went away, a few other monsters came by, and I eventually ended up in Snowdin. It's such a peaceful, warm village, despite being covered deep in snow. I like it here. Those two skeletons that are always around are fun to watch with their antics._

 _I think they're actually brothers, if I'm not mistaken. The way they're so very different from each other can be quite confusing…_

"EXCUSE ME!"

I jerked my hooded head up with a start at the sound of sudden shout. A tall, skeletal figure, dressed in a strange costume with red gloves, high boots and a red scarf stood in front of me.

Ah. It's the taller skeleton today.

"Tra la la. Hello. Would you like to ride in my boat? Tra la la." I asked quietly as I stood up, making my voice as hard to determine as male or female as I could. No one knows which exactly I am. For everyone, I'm just a Riverperson. Who am I really? It doesn't matter anymore.

"AS A MATTER OF FACT, YES," the tall skeleton shouted again. Probably it's it his normal voice. It doesn't matter. "I WANT TO GET TO WATERFALL AS FAST AS I CAN, FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD! TODAY IS MY FIRST DAY OF A ROYAL GUARD TRAINING! "

"…Then we're off," I said curtly as the skeleton packed himself into my boat. Once he was securely plopped on the bench for the passengers, I moved my hands slowly up and forward, the movement unseen for anyone, hidden underneath the dark robe that reached almost to the wooden floor under my feet. The boat shook slightly as it took off on its own, carried by the waves and my magic.

"Tra la la. Remember to take a break every-so-often…" I murmured softly during the ride. I always said something to anyone who was riding in my boat, out of habit. But it didn't matter if they replied to me, not really.

"WHAT A NUISANSE!" the skeleton exclaimed in exasperation. "YOU SOUNDED JUST LIKE MY BROTHER, SANS! HE'S SUCH A LAZYBONES ALL THE TIME… I BARELY COVINCED HIM INTO BEING A SENTRY AT SNOWDIN! AND WATERFALL TOO. I THINK HE HAS NOW AT LEAST FOUR STATIONS, IF YOU INCLUDE THAT ILLEGAL HOT-DOG STAND OF HIS IN HOTLAND…"

My lips twitched slightly upwards in amusement as the tall skeleton trailed off in his musings. He always said that way about his brother, but I knew he just showed that way he cared about the other skeleton. I admired his infinite amounts of energy, too. Such a lively person…

"IN ANY CASE," the skeleton continued on, "DO NOT SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT AROUND ME EVER AGAIN!"

"I understand. Tra la la." I replied lightly. I didn't take this personally. I never did.

Soon, the boat reached its destination, and the tall skeleton jumped out vigorously, paying me one Gold for the ride.

"Come again some time. Tra la la." I said my standard parting words as the skeleton took off into the distance, not once looking back. I didn't care if he did. I knew we'll see each other again soon.

 _The day went on from then on, passengers coming and passing, leaving pieces of Gold as their payment. Although, one of the Temmies from Temmie Village left me a bunch of pieces of paper it called 'Temmie Flakes'._

 _Strange. But it didn't matter. I did my job anyway._

 _Then, the tall skeleton returned, as I thought. He asked me to take him back to Snowdin. When we arrived, the shorter skeleton was awaiting at the docks. Apparently he was supposed to pick up the taller one. Why, I don't know. But it was nice of him, I suppose._

"was the first day of training with Undyne fun?" the skeleton in blue jacket and black shorts asked once his brother stepped into the snow.

"IT CERTAINLY WAS!" the taller skeleton exclaimed happily. "IT WASN'T EXACTLY WHAT I IMAGINED, FOR WE DID NOT AS MUCH FIGHTING AS I THOUGHT WE WOULD, BUT I DID MY BEST, ANYWAY!"

"sounds great." the short skeleton replied nonchalantly before the two went down the street back to their home that was somewhere in Snowdin. I've never known where, for I stepped out of my boat only if absolutely necessary, and then going only straight toward the nearest shop and back. Never stopping by. There was no reason to.

I watched as the two skeletons disappeared behind a corner, wondering about the shorter one. He was the only monster here I've never carried in m boat anywhere yet so far, but I've seen him at few different places during the day now and then somehow, in much too short periods of time than just a walking distance.

 _It seems there's someone else in the Underground that holds a secret besides me. Hmm… I wonder. What it might be?_


	2. Entry 2

_Tra la la._

 _The water is very wet today._

 _I've rode the head of the Royal Guard to Hotland. She's been going there a lot more frequently lately. I doubt it's just checking on those two Guards that she's sent there the other day. She also talks a lot about that nice lizard girl from before. Maybe she's going there to visit her? But she's constantly complaining just how much she hates to go there. Then why she goes anyway? It's confusing._

 _But in the end, it doesn't really matter. As long as I earn Gold from my job, she can say whatever she wants._

"Thanks for the ride!" she yelled as she gave me the piece of Gold before bolting in the direction of the stairs, and probably the lab that loomed in the distance. What a strange laboratory indeed, in a place like this.

"Excuse me," a deep baritone voice snapped me out of my musing. "Could you, please, give me a ride to Snowdin?"

I looked to the side, then up, just to be met with a gentle smile of a huge figure, dressed in the costume of Santa Claus and a big sack of… somethings, on his back. A pair of huge, curved horns was sticking out of his a- bit-too-small hat.

"Tra la la. Of course, your majesty." I replied simply.

The king smiled down at me in response. "Thank you," he said before he sat inside my boat. Once again, I summoned my magic into action, and the boat moved slowly forward, despite the opposing flow of the water, and in the direction of our destination.

"Tra la la. The piano plays the tinkling song. Hmm… tinkling…" I said as I remembered a pretty song I heard in my dock at Waterfall earlier today, not taking my gaze from what was in front of us. The river underground had nothing my boat would crash into, and the steam was steady as it would ever be, but I've never looked at someone directly longer than it was necessary. I didn't want to risk anyone seeing what I was hiding under my hood.

King Asgore chuckled heartily in response. "I assume you heard Undyne play on her piano, did you not?" So it was her who played the song.

…It doesn't really matter.

"That child can play quite skillfully, if she wants to. Although she could use some lessons in cooking." I could hear warmth in King's voice. It wasn't surprising. He practically raised Undyne, as they say. Then, a sad tone rang in his voice. "I wish my wife was still here to teach her. I miss her cooking. Especially her butterscotch-cinnamon pie…"

I remained silent as the king trailed off, seemingly drifting off into the land of memories. It wasn't the first time someone shared their life story with me. Monster community was relatively small, and anyone knew everyone here, so nobody really minded talking about their lives, and I didn't see the need to stop them if they wanted to do so. Besides, it was a good way to pass the time through the ride.

 _The ride with our king to Snowdin was quite nice. King Asgore is nice._

 _And so, we finally arrived at Snowdin. The king paid me the usual amount of one Gold with a smile and a 'thank you' before he made his way over to the monster school further in town, as I was told once. I also noticed him pause in his walk to talk to the shorter of skeleton brothers, Sans, if I remember correctly the name, before he disappeared behind one of the buildings._

 _I didn't have to wait for another passenger to arrive. Although it was quite an… excited one._

Off to the side, I noticed a small dog monster dressed in armor standing not far from my ferry, looking at me expectantly.

"Tra la la. Would you like to ride in- Woah!" a small shout escaped my lips as Lesser Dog jumped inside my boat, causing it to shake violently enough to make me lose my balance for a split second. There was a moment of stunned silence, with me stretching my arms sideways, almost making my lower body be seen. Almost."… I guess you want."

Lesser Dog barked excitedly in response. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Sans the skeleton watching me carefully. It seems the commotion caught his attention. I tried to act like it didn't matter, although, to be honest… it did. I dreaded the thought he saw some part of my body from under the cloak. I didn't let it show, though, as I asked Lesser Dog calmly. "Where to?"

After I got my response somehow, I set off towards Waterfall. This time, I settled for soft humming during the ride. It didn't matter if Lesser Dog responded to it in any way. "Tra la la. Tri li li. Tre le le."

I felt suddenly something fluffy rub against my hand under the cloak. Looking down quickly, I was met with a pleading gaze of Lesser Dog. I knew instantly what he was asking me of, but I hesitated nevertheless. Dog monsters weren't that harmful of creatures down here, and I doubt if Lesser Dog said anything about me if I petted him, but still, I didn't really want to reveal myself. To anyone.

"…Fine." I finally said with a small sigh, pulling out my hand barely out from under my cloak. Tiny, purple scales on the back of my hand and a bit long claws glinted slightly in the deem light of Waterfall, while pale pink skin on the inside touched the fur of the dog monster's head as I petted it gently.

His tail started waggling wildly at the motion, and his neck stretched out ever so slightly. Intrigued, I kept petting Lesser Dog, and his neck kept stretching and stretching until I barely could touch his chin.

 _Deciding that was enough, I hid my hand back under my cloak, returning to my duty as a Riverperson. Soon, the docks in Waterfall came into view. Once Lesser Dog jumped out of my boat, he gave me a generous lick to the side of my hood, since I didn't allow him to do so to my face, and one piece of Gold._

 _As the dog monster disappeared to God knows where, I was met with the sight of a familiar blue hoodie and dark eye sockets eyeing me up from around the corner before they disappeared as well. There it is, that mysterious ability of the short skeleton to appear at places far much quicker than he should. It sort of starts to intrigue me. Does he, perhaps, have some sort of special ability…?_

 _I wonder if Sans noticed something back in Snowdin. I would like to say it doesn't really matter. But it does. Because if he did… I may end up dead, sooner or later._


	3. Entry 3

_Tra la la._

 _The waters are wild today… that's bad luck._

 _Today I met the Royal Scientist again. She was better than the other day. More… cheerful. Definitely more chatty. She went on and on about the Head of the Royal Guard, and how she showed her her collection of something called 'anime'….._

 _… It was a lot of talking._

 _She was carrying a hot-dog. Apparently Sans was working at his illegal hot-dog stand today._

 _We eventually stopped at Waterfall. Probably visiting Undyne this time. Or maybe taking something for her ghost friend. He was going by the name Mettablook once, I believe. Now he's a movie star, from what I've heard. It doesn't really matter. I don't watch TV._

 _But speaking of ghosts, not long after the lizard girl disappeared in the tunnel, a white, timid ghost appeared next to me._

"Um, ex-excuse me…?"

I turned my hooded head in the direction of the faint voice, and was met with big, watery eyes of a gray ghost known as Napstablook around here. The monster was hovering barely above ground, glancing up shyly at me. I was a bit taller than him.

"Tra la la. Would you like to ride in my boat?" I asked quietly. The ghost's eyes widened to the size of saucers, and he floated back a bit before he responded even more quietly that I did. "Oh, um, w-well… actually yes, if it's not a bother… no pressure or anything… really…"

"Where would you like to go?" I went on.

"Hotland… please…"

"Then we're off."

With my final statement, the shy ghost floated up onto my boat, and soon we were heading out to our destination. The ride was quiet and peaceful, and I found myself wondering why the ghost was using my boat as a transport in the first place. With his corporeal body he could easily go through any wall, not mentioning flying up and down anytime he wanted. Maybe something was wrong with his magic… But that was a rude thing to ask.

"Pet pet pet… The neck stretches infinitely into the cosmos. …Don't worry about it." I said instead.

"Oh, uh… okay, I guess… I won't… worry about it…"

I nodded slightly in response, pleased with that statement.

 _We've arrived at the docks in Hotland quite quickly after that conversation. Napstablook paid me the regular amount of Gold, and then set out in the direction of the elevator not far from the lab, passing by the pair of Royal Guards that was stationed there for some time now. I've heard there was a hotel run by Mettablook, or Mettaton now. I've never been to a hotel…_

 _… It doesn't really matter._

 _I spent the rest of the day on performing my duty, carrying monsters here and there, and eventually, my shift was over. It was the day I've decided to visit the nearest shop to restock my gradually thinning supplies, which happened to be the small store in Snowdin town._

The delicate sound of chime rang inside the, currently empty, store as I entered. It was pretty late, and I didn't mind the lack of crowds. Quite the opposite, actually.

"Hello, traveler~ Welcome to my shop." the bunny lady that always was standing behind the counter greeted me with a warm smile. We kind of knew each other. Comes with being a regular customer.

"Tra la la. Hello." I replied curtly. It didn't matter if I was chatty or not.

"So, how can I help you this time?"

My eyes skimmed over the shelves as I contemplated what do I need exactly. Soon, a handful of various items was laying on the counter, along with a pie of sorts. It smelled good. I didn't knew exactly what it was called, but I definitely wanted to taste it.

"A quiche, huh?" the shopkeeper smiled at that. "That short skeleton bought a quiche the other day too."

I raised a brow at that, though the bunny lady didn't see that from underneath my hood. Sans bought a quiche? How… intriguing. "Oh?"

"Yeah. The next day, he came back asking for a recipe. Guess he really liked it." she snickered lightly after that. I, on the other hand, did my best not to join her in her amusement. "I see. Thank you for the goods. Farewell. Tra la la." I said in as indifferent tone as I could.

 _After that, I quickly left the store and strode back towards my trusty boat. Though, on my way back, I paused by Grillby's. A local bar. I've never been there. Never had a reason to. Yes, the lights coming from the inside were warm and welcoming, and the muffled, but still cheerful chatter that reached my ears was heartwarming._

 _… But it doesn't matter to me._

 _Now that I think about it… I think I heard a few times Sans visits that place often. And everyone sounds happy when he does, or when he makes those awful jokes of his. Like everybody is his friend._

 _…I wonder…_

 _What it's like to have… friends?_


	4. Entry 4

_Tra la la._

 _Hmm… I should have worn a few more pairs of pants today._

 _…Something strange happened today._

 _It started out quite normally. A few passengers once and a while in the morning, eating lunch at my secret place in Waterfall, then some more passengers until late afternoon. In fact, it was almost the time to call it a night… when he appeared at my docks practically out of nowhere._

The sound of the waves was peaceful tonight. So peaceful, in fact, that drowsiness slowly, but surely was taking over my tired mind. My hooded head was bobbing slightly back and forth in a desperate fight to stay awake. Even the head of a dog that appeared at the front of my boat was blinking the sleep away.

It was the strange, popping sound mere inches away from my boat that I jerked with a start, startled from the state of half-awareness. What greeted my eyes was a pair of pink slippers, followed by black shorts and blue hoodie. Sans the skeleton.

I straightened up immediately. "Tra la la~ Hello. Would you like to-" I paused as the short monster went aboard my ship and handed me required amount of gold without even one word before he plopped with a tired sigh on the bench. A moment of stunned silence fell between the two of us as I stared at the skeleton in mild surprise.

"uhh… sorry for _cutting in_ , buddy, gotta get home, need ta be kinda _swift_ about it… heh…" he finally spoke up, his voice more gruff than from what I remembered it, sweat sliding down his skull as well. Probably from exhaustion. It was quite late, after all. But it doesn't matter to me.

"It's alright, tra la la." I replied. "Where do you wish to go?"

"Snowdin."

"Then were off. Tra la la."

Not so long afterwards, my boat was carrying us towards our destination. Keeping my eyes on the waves, I started to feel a new emotion rising in my chest. I felt… anxious. I've been doing my job for years, seeing every monster, and carried every monster, excluding Sans. And yet, said monster was currently sitting in my boat. That was new. I wondered what made the skeleton tired enough to not use whatever means of transport he was usually using. That, too, was new. I'd normally not ponder over such things. Why was I doing it, then…? "Tra la la. What's a game you can play with a dog? Asking for a friend…"

Soft snoring was what I earned as a response. Begrudgingly, I glanced back at the skeleton leaning on my bench. He was sound asleep. Huh. So, he was completely wiped out, it seems. I let him be for the rest of the ride, until finally, the side of my boat brushed against the wood of the docks stationed in Snowdin.

Once I was sure my boat wasn't going to wander off anywhere on its own(pesky little thing), I turned back to Sans. He was still sleeping, although thin line of a frown made its appearance on his forehead as quiet grunts escaped his mouth. Nightmare?

I hesitated for a moment. Should I wake him up? But there was a risk he could… see me. Then again, who knows how long it would take him to wake up, and I really wanted to _finally_ get my well deserved rest. Eventually, the vision of my sweet, comfy bed have won.

"…Hello? Wake up." I bent down to his level, shaking slightly his arm. He didn't wake up, instead, more distressed grunts came from him, and his entire frame began shaking.

"beware…" I froze in my second attempt to shake him awake. "beware of the man… who speaks in hands… who came… from the other world… beware… beware…" Sans mumbled under his breath time and again. I didn't know what to think of it. A man who speaks in hands? Who came from the other world? What does it mean?

A moment of silence stretched out, and eventually I resumed in my attempt to shake him awake. "Sans, wake up. We're here."

The skeleton finally stirred, his voice coming out a little slurred. I quickly hid my hand back under my cloak as he mumbled; "mmh… five more minutes, paps…" his eyes finally cracked open, and then went wide the moment the skeleton processed what are his current surroundings. His skull flung sideways in shock before the white dots for pupils in his eye sockets landed back on me.

Having his full attention, I straightened up. "This is our stop. Tra la la."

"uh, thanks…" his gaze ran between me and the docks, anxiety clear on his features. "say… did you… hear something… when I was, y'now…"

I knew what he was asking about. However, I paused for a moment, suddenly unsure of what should I do. No, that sounded wrong. Of course I knew I should tell him that I, in fact, did hear him. I wasn't sure what his reaction would be, though. And, for some unfathomable reason, I felt that his reaction mattered.

The silence between the two of us stretched, and then, Sans' skull was peppered with sweat drops once again as his eye sockets became empty of all light. Before I could make out any conscious answer, the skeleton snapped his phalanges, disappearing from sight in an instant. The popping sound and a few blue sparks was all that left of him.

I stared at the place where Sans was mere seconds ago in silent awe, mouth slightly agape, although my expression was hidden under the hood of my cloak. Then, I scanned the docks. No sign of the skeleton. "So that's how he does that…" I mused quietly. I ghost of a smirk slowly crept up my face.

 _Sans the skeleton has teleportation magic. I was never met with any other monster that possesses such magic. This certainly was an interesting information._

 _But, to be honest, I have a feeling there is more to that skeleton than meets the eye. Much, much more. Like the things he said during his sleep. Who is the man who speaks in hands? I have a faint recollection of a distant memory when I think deeply about it, but sadly, I cannot recall it fully._

 _…Well, it doesn't really matter. I am the Riverperson. I listen to everything everyone says here in the Underground. And, sooner or later, I will find my answers._


End file.
